GREAT SUCCESS OF THE 5th EDITION OF WALKING FOR PEACE

The transboundary event “Walking for Peace”, was held on Saturday, 7th October with a wonderful weather. Many people partecipated at the Walking and then at the maccheronata of solidarity, which took place at the sala comunale of Ponte Tresa, crowded of people! This is a powerful result that this event – rich of solidarity and conviviality- that is settled in the territory of Malacantone and Varese’s area.

At the end of the walk, thinking about the sixth edition, the president of the Culture Ticino Network Association Margherita Maffeis has launched a contest open to elementary schools for creating the flags of the event (for the Italian one and the Swiss one). In the next months you will hear the announcement and the Italian-Swiss jury will be nominated.

Program of the day:

At 9.00 am, the Swiss group gathered at the FLP station in Agno, Patrizia Cavagna welcomed the partecipants. Before the departure, there was a ceremony in collaboration with the Peace Run Foundation, then the intervention of the mayor of Agno Thierry Morotti. After the official part, at 9.30 am, the Culture Ticino Network Association, headed by President Margherita Maffeis, started the walk.

The Italian group started the walk at 10.00 am from the Aquatic Park of Lavena Ponte Tresa. Among the participants there were Paolo Bertocchi, spokesperson of the Province of Varese, the municipal council of Luino Enrica Nogara, and many associations of the territory. Arriving in Piazza San Giorgio the partecipants saw a beautiful football match between a Swiss team and an Italian team.

The first stop-over for the Swiss group took place at 10:00 am at Magliaso: where volunteers from the Culture Ticino Network Association organized a refreshment stall. There was also the chance to do exercises thanks to Alessia Della Casa of the Association:Veicolo Danza. So they were all ready to continue the journey!

Later, the group reached Caslano at 11.00 am and a new animation was waiting for them: a break-dance performance by the Ashkenazy Ballet Center! Deputy Mayor Iris Brugnetti took the word and after the refreshment stall organized by the Scout of Caslano, the journey continued for the final stage in the direction of Ponte Tresa.

After finishing the soccer game, at 11.30 am, the participants of the Italian path continued their journey to the final goal: the Ponte Tresa customs bridge to meet the Swiss people in order to create a symbolic union.

At 12:00 pm, there was a great symbolic moment: the “union of people” on the Customs Bridge of Ponte Tresa. The Swiss and Italian groups, coming from both sides were symbolically united. A moment of great importance, aggregation and solidarity among people from different countries.

An official moment happened when the president of the Culture Ticino Network Margherita Maffeis spoke with Daniel Buser, mayor of Ponte Tresa and Massimo Mastromarino, mayor of Lavena Ponte Tresa, all united with music performance by Stefano Cropanese president of the Association Reatium, with the choirs “Don Giorgio Quaglia” and “Voci bianche del Ceresio”.

Then, the group departed for the sala comunale of Ponte Tresa, where the traditional “maccheronata of solidarity” took place. The lunch and the afternoon were enlivened by Hip Hop dancers of the Ashkenazy Ballet Center, the soprano Julia Gertseva with her children choir “La musica” and the songwriter Loris Allemann.

The president of the Culture Ticino Network Association, Margherita Maffeis, explained that in such sensitive time in which war and terrorism are daily, the message of peace must be constantly strengthened as a sign of hope for the future, especially for the new generations. It must spread from the family, among friends, and in school to educate young people and adults in the culture of peace, and then expands it around the world. Peace is a powerful instrument for preventing violence and discrimination, and today, like never before, is really necesary.

Among the various institutional figures in the municipal hall were Daniel Buser, mayor of Ponte Tresa, Massimo Mastromarino, mayor of Lavena Ponte Tresa, Iris Brugnetti, deputy mayor of Caslano, Enrica Nogara municipal councillor of Luino and the representative of the Province of Varese Paolo Bertocchi.

The funds raised during the event will be used to support the projects of the Culture Ticino Network Association: the construction of a “Multipurpose Center in the Philippines” to offer food, medical examinations and cultural-artistic moments to needy children and teenagers of Paombong and the “Petals of Peace” cultural program for elementary school children.

After this great success, the Culture Ticino Network Association will immediately start working to organize the 7th World Peace Forum, which you are invited to participate! This year, the theme of the World Forum will be the “Peace Communication”, and will be held at various events in Lugano from 13 November to 7 December 2017, and will include various convivial event, shows and the participation of renowned international guests.